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When Bad Things Happen to Good Appraisers - read story

> I have noticed a trend among certain groups (especially media or "news oriented" groups) to predominantly report on NEGATIVE issues. I've come to refer to these groups as "Merchants of Chaos."  I don't know why this negativity is so appealing, except as these people and groups make money by pushing the "fear buttons" of normal, hard working, honest citizens; those people who actually have REAL, actual products to exchange with the society. These merchants of chaos have a vested interest in purveying negative information. It could also be that (likely, in fact) these negative media groups have no innate ability to produce a valid, exchangeable product.  And it's a real pity, too.  Because in any field, predominantly, most people are honest, hard-working and are doing a good job (or trying to, in spite of the bad news and danger and imminent peril spooned them in their dose of daily news).

Somehow, these harbingers of bad news somewhere fail to see all the good done by people and groups. Be careful that your publication does not fall into this predominantly bad-news trap, as it appears to me to be dangerously close to doing. I personally am becoming fatigued by reading from yours and other sources about the "bad things that happen to good appraisers."  How we appraisers are in peril of being replaced by machines...how easy it is to get sued by someone who doesn't like our work....how easily devastated our lives can become for little reason, etc, etc. ad nauseum. If you can't appraise or don't want to appraise, then don't. But don't infect my life and chosen career with an incessant stream of near pointless niggling negativism. There are many aspects of our business which are worthy of comment that are of a positive nature. Find a few and report on those. So that when I'm done reading your articles I'm happy I'm an appraiser....not that I want to go hide under a rock (with the media who already live there in the dark)! - Bruce Dilgard

> The thought occurs to me: 30 years paying over $1,000 per year of E&O insurance premiums, would pay for the new roof, should the appraiser be found to have been completely negligent in his duties as an appraiser - which I sincerely doubt, having been supplied with the disclaimer argument. Which leads me to believe that the premium is too high compared to the actuarial risk - for good appraisers. Like car insurance:  No incident experience, lesser premium cost would equate. - Ted Norbert Jr.  MAI/SRA  

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